Purpose
Collaborating Centres help develop and maintain the World Health Organization's (WHO) global classification system. CDC's National Center for Health Statistics is the home of the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications for the United States (USACC).
Collaborating Centres for the WHO-FIC
The World Health Organization Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC) is the system that standardizes health care information documentation. The classification system has three parts:
- International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)
- International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
- International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI)
The WHO-FIC Network is a vital part of the broader WHO-FIC framework. The Network is made up of WHO Collaborating Centres and other institutions across the world. The Network promotes the use of WHO's classification system. Collaborating Centres contribute to developing, maintaining, and revising the classification system.
Collaborating Centre in the United States
The WHO Collaborating Centre for the WHO-FIC in the United States of America (USACC) is located at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). USACC promotes and coordinates development and use of the ICD and ICF. USACC helps implement and improve these classification systems.
History of USACC
WHO established its Collaborating Centre for the WHO-FIC for North America (NACC) in 1976 at NCHS. NACC first represented the United States and Canada in activities related to the ICD. Later, NACC also represented the ICF.
In 2020, WHO established its Collaborating Centre for the WHO-FIC in Canada. At that time, Canada left NACC. NACC then became USACC.
NACC
NCHS role
In the United States, NCHS is responsible for coordinating ICD-10 use for morbidity and mortality statistics. NCHS shares responsibility with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the clinical modification of the ICD-10. NCHS is responsible for ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and CMS is responsible for ICD-10-PCS procedure codes.
Robert N. Anderson, PhD, chief of the Statistical Analysis and Surveillance Branch in NCHS's Division of Vital Statistics, serves as the head of USACC.